The present invention relates to optical communication monitoring and to a control device for connection with optical fibres. At present, if an optic fibre for communication is severed or damaged, it is necessary to divert all signals which would be transmitted on that optic fibre to another optic fibre. Generally, redundant optic fibre are provided for this purpose in communication systems. This is a time-consuming exercise and in many cases results in loss of a significant amount of information and, in the case of telephone companies, a significant loss of revenue.
The present invention is directed towards providing an optical communication monitoring and control device to overcome these problems.
The invention has application to routes over which signals representing high data rates are transmitted, to routes over which a number of wave lengths may be employed and to routes and other systems that must meet defined performance criteria. In such contexts the invention enables monitoring of performance to exacting standards and automatic high speed response if performance falls below selected performance criteria.